Get to work on the building safety plan!

"Thinking about construction safety is not only the job of executing parties; clients also have an important role to play. The earlier construction safety is considered, the better and safer the construction process will ultimately be for the environment." Speaking is Henk van Gaal, senior consultant at Aboma Consultancy, who adds that the building safety plan has been a submission requirement since 1976. "Many clients ignore that."

Construction safety is often associated with a helmet, vest and shoes, but that is not what the construction safety plan is for, says Maurik Schoonbeek, general manager at Aboma Consultancy. "A building safety plan describes the (management) measures taken to ensure accessibility, livability and safety for the surroundings, while a H&S plan is purely about the structure itself. The increasing complexity of construction works, mostly inner-city and prefabricated in design, brings other movements. Think bigger cranes, heavier trucks, etc. At the same time, this must be done safely, with as little disruption to the surrounding area as possible. Somewhere that's going to rub off. So, how are you going to organize that and what measures are you going to take? That's described in a construction safety plan."

Integral view

The Building Works Environment Decree requires that a building safety plan be drawn up for a certain score from the risk matrix. "Regardless of what score comes out, a municipality can require that anyway," Van Gaal knows. "There is often some confusion around the term building safety plan or BLVC plan. The law formally requires the former, but the aspects of accessibility, safety, livability and communication from the BLVC plan should also have a place in the building safety plan." Drafting such a plan can be quite complex. A task that Aboma Consultancy is happy to take on. "First of all, it is important to determine how a building can be built safely in its environment and what measures are needed to minimize potential risks. It is therefore important to identify all aspects outside the construction fence that may affect the object to be built or renovated in the future. From Aboma, we have an integral view on this, because we are active in various places in the chain, both with clients and contractors."

The sooner, the better

Aboma's experts advise clients to pay attention to the construction safety plan already in the initiation phase. "By gaining insight into challenges as early as possible, you can sit down with the competent authority in the preliminary phase to come to a solution, for example for accessibility or a detour route," Van Gaal gives as an example. "Not only for the structure, but also for the surrounding area and government emergency services, accessibility must be guaranteed. The earlier all safety and environmental aspects are considered in the process, the more influence it has on a smooth and safe construction process. So make work of the construction safety plan."